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'What the hell is this?'
Annette considered bringing another glass, but didn't want to start a pointless fight and attract attention. In the end, Annette gave up and had no choice but to endure another long hour.
Suddenly, an "Ahhh" sounded from the stage. The host was standing on the stage, holding a microphone. Everyone's eyes shifted to the front.
Annette glanced briefly at the host, then stared out the window with disinterest. Outside, darkness had already descended.
The host's jokes elicited a roar of laughter from the crowd. The host then asked questions like, "Is the food delicious?" and "Are you enjoying the banquet?" before getting to the main point.
"At our Belen Hotel, we've invited a special guest for our guests today. The CEO has put in some effort."
Then came the cheers of the crowd. Until then, Annette was still staring out the window.
“For a performance fit for a beautiful autumn night─ Felix Kafka, the amazing genius born in Padania, the master of the keyboard!”
Annette's body flinched. Her half-downturned eyes slowly dilated, and her pupils began to flutter. She quickly turned her head and watched the man ascend the stage to applause.
Felix Kafka.
A genius pianist who has won first place in various competitions, including the world's most prestigious Prix Carlo International Competition.
This person was once Annette's idol.
Felix bowed politely to the crowd and sat down at the piano. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He then closed his eyes, as if immersed in his own perfect world.
His face was so pious and holy, so unearthly, it was as if Felix and the piano were the only ones present in this vast hall.
Felix opened his eyes, brushed his hair back, and then raised his left hand. His fingers, which had been floating in the air for a moment, slowly landed on the keyboard.
Annette couldn't breathe until the keys were pressed and the first note sounded.
Nocturne 2.
A refined melody filled the air. It was a piece Annette had once played countless times. Despite a gap of nearly three years, she could vividly recall the theories.
E flat. Three-note form. Left-hand broken chords. As the melody repeats, additional non-harmonic notes and chromatic melodies are added...
Before the sound's breath died, Felix connected the next note, giving it life. Between keys, and between keys. Life flowed ceaselessly through his hands.
Felix seemed like a messenger, bringing the idea back to life here. At this moment, the world she stood on became meaningless, and every breath, every exhalation, seemed to be mortgaged to his performance.
The melody of whispering love to a lover by the window in the middle of the night was so beautiful that it almost brought tears to her eyes.
Piano Sonata, La Campanella... and until the end of the encore, she clasped her hands tightly together, oblivious to the gazes on her.
Felix rose to his feet and greeted the crowd with applause. People gathered around him as he stepped down from the stage.
Annette stood transfixed, staring at the sight with longing eyes. Her heart clenched with emotion and sorrow.
You were my idol.
I grew up dreaming after listening to your performance.
I wanted to be a pianist like you.
Words she once said, but now cannot say, lingered in her mouth.
Annette and Felix had met several times in the past, thanks to her father's connections. She had gotten Felix's autograph, talked to him, and received his encouragement and support.
But now nothing was the same as it was then.
Felix was a successful, genius pianist born to commoners. He probably despised her even then, though he didn't show it. It's even worse now.
Annette's eyelashes fluttered. Heiner looked down at her transparent face with a sunken gaze. Just as he opened his mouth to say something,
“Didn’t Madame Valdemar play the piano too?”
A gentle question was directed at Annette.
Annette, half-conscious, flinched sharply. She looked around, unable to hide her bewilderment.
Everyone, including Felix, was looking at Annette as if they had already exchanged words. Annette smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
“That’s true, but I....”
“You even won third place in an international competition.”
“Oh, I remember that too. It was featured prominently in the capital newspaper.”
“Didn’t you have a recital too?”
“That’s because the late Margrave Dietrich personally paid for the hall to be rented out...”
As the conversation continued, the color drained from Annette's face.
Although her father did pay for her recital, the recital itself was a prize awarded to the competition winner through a foundation.
The woman who had first asked Annette the question smiled and made a suggestion.
“If you don’t mind, Madame Valdemar, wouldn’t you like to sing us a song?”
“Oh, no. I don’t have the skills to do that.”
"Don't be so humble. I heard you were taught by talented pianists from a very young age."
“I haven’t played for a long time, so my skills are...”
“It’s okay. Yes, come on.”
The woman wrapped her arms around Annette's shoulders and led her forward. Annette looked back at Heiner, as if asking for help, but he simply stood there, his expression unreadable.
For a moment, she felt like she was going to burst out laughing.
'What did you expect from that guy?'
I wished for this situation, but he's not the type of man to stop it. What on earth did I expect from him?
Annette, who had been pushed to sit at the piano, looked around the room for a moment. Felix, his gaze fixed on her, nodded to the words of the person next to him.
Annette turned her gaze to the piano. Seeing the keys up close for the first time in a long time felt incredibly unfamiliar.
No matter what she played now, it would pale in comparison to the world-class pianist Felix Kafka. After a three-year hiatus, it would be even more so.
The reason why she was asked to play in this situation was obvious.
She was born into a wealthy, noble family, received a first-class education, and even gave recitals... and yet... this is all she has. They want to expose that fact and humiliate her here.
Annette lowered her head, her face pale. Aside from the occasional clinking of glasses, the hall was eerily quiet.
As the silence dragged on, her mind began to crumble. After she remained motionless for quite some time, a few people began to whisper. The whispering sounded like the crack of a whip.
Annette squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and raised her hands with difficulty. But her hands couldn't reach the keyboard.
Her fingertips were trembling. It wasn't from nervousness or shame. It wasn't from fear of the ridicule she's received for playing a bad song. It wasn't because she had forgotten the song.
“Annette!”
Only...
“We have to run away!”
Just the piano...
"Wake up!"
She couldn't play the piano. Not a single note.
“Run away quickly─!”
A chill ran through her, as if she'd been doused with cold water. Annette unconsciously covered her mouth with one hand. A sudden headache struck, and her stomach churned like crazy.
Annette jumped to her feet. The chair slid out with a loud clatter. Ignoring the bewildered looks on everyone's faces, she quickly left the hall.
She went into the bathroom without even having time to close the door. She immediately grabbed the toilet in the corner and emptied her stomach.
“Cough─.”
Her esophagus felt as if it were burning. Annette kept gagging. After vomiting two or three times, nothing more came out, but her stomach still felt uncomfortably rumbling.
"I've heard about Miss Rosenberg. She's incredibly talented. I hope to see her again as a junior someday."
Who knew we'd meet again like this? Annette's tightly closed lips trembled.
Talent? I doubt I even had it in the first place, but even if I did, what good would it be now? Even sitting down at the piano is a chore.
Annette, who had been breathing heavily for a while, staggered to her feet. As soon as she flushed the water and turned toward the sink, her movements suddenly stopped.
Heiner stood like a ghost in the bathroom doorway. For some reason, he looked startled. She hadn't seen him once in the past three years.
Annette turned her head away. Her head hurt, and she didn't want to think too deeply. She washed her hands at the sink, rinsed her mouth, and walked toward the door.
Even then, Heiner remained rooted to the spot. Annette, who had arrived before him, closed her eyes, seemingly weary. She was tired.
“...I want to go home.”
As she felt, everything happened overnight.
When armed revolutionary forces stormed the Rosenberg mansion, Annette was playing the piano in her family's practice room. The competition was just around the corner. She had no time to worry about anything else.
Because the room was filled with the sound of the piano, she couldn't hear the noise outside. Even when her father, with a frantic expression on his face, burst through the door and came in.
“Annette, Annette! We have to run!”
“Father? Why all of a sudden...”
“There’s no time to explain, so get up! To the back of the mansion─!”
Bang!
Dietrich's pupils dilated with the sound of a gunshot. Blood splattered the walls and floor. Annette screamed and covered her mouth.
The staggering body soon fell with a thud into the hallway outside the door. Annette's vision was limited to her father's sprawling legs.
The revolutionary soldiers' footsteps echoed through the mansion. They entered the hallway, stood before Dietrich's body, and conversed.
“You can’t kill them instantly...!”
“...Misfire...”
“Until him arrive first....”
One of them met Annette's eyes. The revolutionary soldier aimed his gun at her, then, perhaps judging that she posed no threat, withdrew it.
“You are the Marquis’ daughter.”
A sneer appeared on their lips.
“You seem to have been leisurely playing the piano? How noble.”
It was three years ago.
Annette considered bringing another glass, but didn't want to start a pointless fight and attract attention. In the end, Annette gave up and had no choice but to endure another long hour.
Suddenly, an "Ahhh" sounded from the stage. The host was standing on the stage, holding a microphone. Everyone's eyes shifted to the front.
Annette glanced briefly at the host, then stared out the window with disinterest. Outside, darkness had already descended.
The host's jokes elicited a roar of laughter from the crowd. The host then asked questions like, "Is the food delicious?" and "Are you enjoying the banquet?" before getting to the main point.
"At our Belen Hotel, we've invited a special guest for our guests today. The CEO has put in some effort."
Then came the cheers of the crowd. Until then, Annette was still staring out the window.
“For a performance fit for a beautiful autumn night─ Felix Kafka, the amazing genius born in Padania, the master of the keyboard!”
Annette's body flinched. Her half-downturned eyes slowly dilated, and her pupils began to flutter. She quickly turned her head and watched the man ascend the stage to applause.
Felix Kafka.
A genius pianist who has won first place in various competitions, including the world's most prestigious Prix Carlo International Competition.
This person was once Annette's idol.
Felix bowed politely to the crowd and sat down at the piano. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He then closed his eyes, as if immersed in his own perfect world.
His face was so pious and holy, so unearthly, it was as if Felix and the piano were the only ones present in this vast hall.
Felix opened his eyes, brushed his hair back, and then raised his left hand. His fingers, which had been floating in the air for a moment, slowly landed on the keyboard.
Annette couldn't breathe until the keys were pressed and the first note sounded.
Nocturne 2.
A refined melody filled the air. It was a piece Annette had once played countless times. Despite a gap of nearly three years, she could vividly recall the theories.
E flat. Three-note form. Left-hand broken chords. As the melody repeats, additional non-harmonic notes and chromatic melodies are added...
Before the sound's breath died, Felix connected the next note, giving it life. Between keys, and between keys. Life flowed ceaselessly through his hands.
Felix seemed like a messenger, bringing the idea back to life here. At this moment, the world she stood on became meaningless, and every breath, every exhalation, seemed to be mortgaged to his performance.
The melody of whispering love to a lover by the window in the middle of the night was so beautiful that it almost brought tears to her eyes.
Piano Sonata, La Campanella... and until the end of the encore, she clasped her hands tightly together, oblivious to the gazes on her.
Felix rose to his feet and greeted the crowd with applause. People gathered around him as he stepped down from the stage.
Annette stood transfixed, staring at the sight with longing eyes. Her heart clenched with emotion and sorrow.
You were my idol.
I grew up dreaming after listening to your performance.
I wanted to be a pianist like you.
Words she once said, but now cannot say, lingered in her mouth.
Annette and Felix had met several times in the past, thanks to her father's connections. She had gotten Felix's autograph, talked to him, and received his encouragement and support.
But now nothing was the same as it was then.
Felix was a successful, genius pianist born to commoners. He probably despised her even then, though he didn't show it. It's even worse now.
Annette's eyelashes fluttered. Heiner looked down at her transparent face with a sunken gaze. Just as he opened his mouth to say something,
“Didn’t Madame Valdemar play the piano too?”
A gentle question was directed at Annette.
Annette, half-conscious, flinched sharply. She looked around, unable to hide her bewilderment.
Everyone, including Felix, was looking at Annette as if they had already exchanged words. Annette smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
“That’s true, but I....”
“You even won third place in an international competition.”
“Oh, I remember that too. It was featured prominently in the capital newspaper.”
“Didn’t you have a recital too?”
“That’s because the late Margrave Dietrich personally paid for the hall to be rented out...”
As the conversation continued, the color drained from Annette's face.
Although her father did pay for her recital, the recital itself was a prize awarded to the competition winner through a foundation.
The woman who had first asked Annette the question smiled and made a suggestion.
“If you don’t mind, Madame Valdemar, wouldn’t you like to sing us a song?”
“Oh, no. I don’t have the skills to do that.”
"Don't be so humble. I heard you were taught by talented pianists from a very young age."
“I haven’t played for a long time, so my skills are...”
“It’s okay. Yes, come on.”
The woman wrapped her arms around Annette's shoulders and led her forward. Annette looked back at Heiner, as if asking for help, but he simply stood there, his expression unreadable.
For a moment, she felt like she was going to burst out laughing.
'What did you expect from that guy?'
I wished for this situation, but he's not the type of man to stop it. What on earth did I expect from him?
Annette, who had been pushed to sit at the piano, looked around the room for a moment. Felix, his gaze fixed on her, nodded to the words of the person next to him.
Annette turned her gaze to the piano. Seeing the keys up close for the first time in a long time felt incredibly unfamiliar.
No matter what she played now, it would pale in comparison to the world-class pianist Felix Kafka. After a three-year hiatus, it would be even more so.
The reason why she was asked to play in this situation was obvious.
She was born into a wealthy, noble family, received a first-class education, and even gave recitals... and yet... this is all she has. They want to expose that fact and humiliate her here.
Annette lowered her head, her face pale. Aside from the occasional clinking of glasses, the hall was eerily quiet.
As the silence dragged on, her mind began to crumble. After she remained motionless for quite some time, a few people began to whisper. The whispering sounded like the crack of a whip.
Annette squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and raised her hands with difficulty. But her hands couldn't reach the keyboard.
Her fingertips were trembling. It wasn't from nervousness or shame. It wasn't from fear of the ridicule she's received for playing a bad song. It wasn't because she had forgotten the song.
“Annette!”
Only...
“We have to run away!”
Just the piano...
"Wake up!"
She couldn't play the piano. Not a single note.
“Run away quickly─!”
A chill ran through her, as if she'd been doused with cold water. Annette unconsciously covered her mouth with one hand. A sudden headache struck, and her stomach churned like crazy.
Annette jumped to her feet. The chair slid out with a loud clatter. Ignoring the bewildered looks on everyone's faces, she quickly left the hall.
She went into the bathroom without even having time to close the door. She immediately grabbed the toilet in the corner and emptied her stomach.
“Cough─.”
Her esophagus felt as if it were burning. Annette kept gagging. After vomiting two or three times, nothing more came out, but her stomach still felt uncomfortably rumbling.
"I've heard about Miss Rosenberg. She's incredibly talented. I hope to see her again as a junior someday."
Who knew we'd meet again like this? Annette's tightly closed lips trembled.
Talent? I doubt I even had it in the first place, but even if I did, what good would it be now? Even sitting down at the piano is a chore.
Annette, who had been breathing heavily for a while, staggered to her feet. As soon as she flushed the water and turned toward the sink, her movements suddenly stopped.
Heiner stood like a ghost in the bathroom doorway. For some reason, he looked startled. She hadn't seen him once in the past three years.
Annette turned her head away. Her head hurt, and she didn't want to think too deeply. She washed her hands at the sink, rinsed her mouth, and walked toward the door.
Even then, Heiner remained rooted to the spot. Annette, who had arrived before him, closed her eyes, seemingly weary. She was tired.
“...I want to go home.”
***
As she felt, everything happened overnight.
When armed revolutionary forces stormed the Rosenberg mansion, Annette was playing the piano in her family's practice room. The competition was just around the corner. She had no time to worry about anything else.
Because the room was filled with the sound of the piano, she couldn't hear the noise outside. Even when her father, with a frantic expression on his face, burst through the door and came in.
“Annette, Annette! We have to run!”
“Father? Why all of a sudden...”
“There’s no time to explain, so get up! To the back of the mansion─!”
Bang!
Dietrich's pupils dilated with the sound of a gunshot. Blood splattered the walls and floor. Annette screamed and covered her mouth.
The staggering body soon fell with a thud into the hallway outside the door. Annette's vision was limited to her father's sprawling legs.
The revolutionary soldiers' footsteps echoed through the mansion. They entered the hallway, stood before Dietrich's body, and conversed.
“You can’t kill them instantly...!”
“...Misfire...”
“Until him arrive first....”
One of them met Annette's eyes. The revolutionary soldier aimed his gun at her, then, perhaps judging that she posed no threat, withdrew it.
“You are the Marquis’ daughter.”
A sneer appeared on their lips.
“You seem to have been leisurely playing the piano? How noble.”
It was three years ago.
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